Mango Festival Commences In Multan

Australian High Commissioner Ms Margaret Adamson inaugurated a three-day mango festival here on Saturday.

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2018 ) :Australian High Commissioner Ms Margaret Adamson inaugurated a three-day mango festival here on Saturday.

Expressing her views, she said that whenever she visited Pakistan, a country of love and peace, the only thing that came in her mind was tasty and delicious mangoes.

She praised quality of mangoes and efforts of farmers for producing the fruit with dedication and commitment.

"Pakistani mangoes are highly praised in Australia," she maintained.

On this occasion, Prof Dr Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, said that mango was king of all fruits. According to a rough estimate mango was cultivated in the Sub-continent about 4,000 years ago. Formerly, 149 and 1,000 species of grafted and seed grown mangoes respectively, were being cultivated.

Approximately, 25 million tons of mango was being produced worldwide.

Pakistan contributed to 18 lakh tons of mangoes which was being cultivated on an area of about 4 lakh and 25 thousand acres. Pakistan produced 200 different varieties such as, Dusehri, Sindhri, Anwar Ratol, Chaunsa, etc, he said.

Pakistani mangoes were famous for their aroma and unique taste aesthetics. It was being marketed worldwide. Pakistan had been an exporter of mangoes to middle East, exporting 60 to 70 thousand tons of mangoes, he said. From the past few years Pakistan had been marketing its mangoes to the USA, Japan, Arden, Mauritius, Korea and Uzbekistan. He added, the aim of Mango Festival was to endorse and benefit mango industrialists and cultivators, stated Dr Asif.

Students also participated in arts performance while dramas, songs and other cultural events were also presented.

The festival will continue till July 16 and there are more than 50 stalls.